Baldur’s Gate 3 Fish People: Locations, Encounters & Outcomes

Where are the fish people in BG3?

Baldur's Gate Fish People

Baldur’s Gate 3 Fish People also known as the Kuo-Toa, dwell in the depths of the Underdark, and are depicted as creatures who practice eccentric customs with unwavering faith. BG3 is a game filled with hidden encounters and unexpected choices. Among such intriguing encounters involves finding fish people in Baldur’s Gate 3. This guide will help you find fish people in BG3, including their locations in Act 1, Act 2, and Act 3, what to expect from the encounters and potential outcomes.

How to find Fish People in BG3 Act 1

In Act 1, players can find the Kuo-Toa in the Underdark, a hidden location that can be easily missed. In BG3, you can access the Underdark through multiple entry points, but one common entry point is through the Moonrise Towers, an area within the Underdark where you’ll find various landmarks, including Auntie Ethel’s lair, the Selunite temple, and other points of interest. 

To find the Kuo-Toa fish people, venture southeast of the Underdark, you can find Auntie Ethel’s lair in a swampy area near the Blighted Village. As you explore Auntie Ethel’s lair, you’ll come across an illusory door. This door appears to be a solid wall and is not immediately accessible. To navigate through this illusory door, you need to find the “Mask of the Moon,” this allows you to see through the illusions and access hidden areas, and it is typically found lying around within the lair. While wearing the Mask of the Moon, approach the illusory door. You should be able to just walk right through it, revealing a hidden passage beyond. 

Keep an eye out for a mushroom platform that you can jump on, leading to a cliff descending into the Festering Cove, accessible after clearing orange exploding plants. After clearing the platform, look for the cliff that you can jump to, specifically at coordinates X:70, Y:-239. It should be visible from the mushroom platform.

Festering Cove: BG3 Kuo-Toa fish people location
BG3 Kuo-Toa fish people location (map credits to mapgenie.io)

You’ll need to jump across a gap to reach it. Ensure your characters have the necessary mobility abilities like jumping or Feather Fall to do this. Once you’ve successfully jumped to the cliff, you’ll find a clickable cliffside that allows you to descend further into the Underdark. This descent leads you to the Festering Cove, where the Kuo-Toa reside. The Kuo-Toa are tucked away in this secluded area, making them easy to miss on your first playthrough.

Once you’ve descended into The Festering Cove, you’ll encounter BOOOAL and the Kuo-Toa fish people. Engage in conversations with them and make choices that align with your character’s goals. Interacting with the Kuo-Toa Fish People in BG3 Act 1 can have different branching choices and outcomes which we will further discuss below.

Build Me an Army Choice and Outcome

While in The Festering Cove, you have the opportunity to investigate the true identity of BOOOAL. To do this, succeed in an Investigation check (DC:15) or use your Arcane knowledge to unveil the mystery. You will find out that BOOOAL is just a Redcap enslaving the Fish People convincing them that he is their god, and if you try to free them from their enslaver, it can result to fighting the Kuo-Toa.

If you excel in Persuasion, a successful Performance check (DC: 20) can lead to a different outcome. If you can persuade the fish people to worship you and challenge BOOOAL, you’ll only need to confront BOOOAL, avoiding hostility with the Kuo-Toa. If you have a Bard in your party the better, as Bards excel in social interactions and persuasion, making them well-suited for this task.

While a Bard is the preferred class for this specific persuasion check, other characters with high Charisma and proficiency in Performance may also attempt it, although success with a DC of 20 can be challenging for most classes. Therefore, having a Bard in your party offers the best chances of achieving this outcome. Once you’ve successfully persuaded the Kuo-Toa fish people, you can ask them to Build you an Army,then you can challenge BOOOAL.

After defeating the BOOOAL, you can instruct the Kuo-Toa to either worship you or follow the teachings of your god, shaping their faith accordingly.

Receiving Boooal’s Benediction and become MAHKLOOMPAH

If you choose to instruct the Kuo-Toa to build an army, they will ask for a sacrifice in exchange for their loyalty to worship you. If you choose to become MAHKLOOMPAH, the fish people’s god, your party will receive a permanent buff called BOOOAL’s Benediction. This buff grants you an advantage on Attack Rolls against bleeding enemies, but you’ll need to select one of your companions to be sacrificed to obtain the buff.

BG3 Kuo-Toa God Mahkloompah
Become MAHKLOOMPAH the god of the Fish People (image credits to u/Ribeye2121)

It’s important to note that if you choose to sacrifice one of your companions during this encounter, that companion cannot be revived (permadeath), even with the True Scroll of Resurrection. You also cannot sacrifice a hireling, you must choose one from the original companions to sacrifice. This is a permanent decision that affects your party composition.

BOOOAL’s Benediction grants an advantage on attacks against bleeding targets. This decision affects gameplay, especially if you have Karlach in your party. Karlach is a companion who benefits greatly from this buff due to her Barbarian abilities that can cause bleeding conditions on enemies. Wyll is a companion who is often considered as a candidate for sacrifice when obtaining BOOOAL’s Benediction in Baldur’s Gate 3. Depending on your party composition, you may find that Wyll’s role in the party can be redundant or less essential compared to other companions.

Choosing to become their fake god can lead to the growth of the Kuo-Toa’s devotion to you. They will praise your name and follow your teachings. While it may not have immediate benefits in terms of quests or rewards, it can potentially unlock further questlines or interactions later in the game. Nevertheless, one of the grave consequences of this decision is that it may lead to a loss of trust among your other companions when you either kill or sacrifice one of them.

Become the champion of BOOOAL Choice and Outcome

Alternatively, if you choose a different path from the ones listed above, and if your character has the Dark Urge background, you can choose to work for BOOOAL, aligning yourself with his cause and become the champion of BOOOAL. By making this choice, you’ll receive the Sickle of BOOOAL, a weapon with a 2d4 damage rating and BOOOAL’s Blessing, which offers the same advantage on attack rolls against bleeding enemies.

It’s worth noting that you can also steal the Sickle of BOOOAL from Pooldripp the Zealous if you choose not to become BOOOAL’s champion. If your companion is Shadowheart, regardless of your choices, she will be “inspired”.

How to find Fish People in BG3 Act 2

In Act 2, you may come across a different group of fish people, known as shadow-cursed Kuo-Toa, near the Mausoleum area. The Mausoleum is located in the Blighted Village area, waypoint X:70, Y:410. As you explore the area near the Mausoleum, you may come across a rocky cliff area with a dilapidated hut or shack. Inside or around this hut is where you can find the Shadow-Cursed Kuo-Toa, which are the Fish People in Act 2.

While there is no dialogue interaction, it’s unclear whether they are related to the Kuo-Toa from Act 1. This encounter serves as a reminder of the fish people’s presence and their unique abilities.

How to find Fish People in BG3 Act 3

In Act 3, players can encounter a new group of fish people, the Sahuagin, near the docks in Baldur’s Gate 3. These encounters are triggered by getting close to the water, and players may choose to engage with them or not. Exploring the city further reveals additional Sahuagin can be found in Heapside Strand and the coastal areas near the Steel Watch Foundry.

Unlike the Kuo-Toa encountered in Acts 1 and 2, the Sahuagin have their unique characteristics and lore. When you approach the coastal areas, the Sahuagin may become aware of your presence. Depending on your actions, they may turn hostile and attack you. You may have opportunities to negotiate, make deals, or engage in combat, which can affect the outcome of the encounter.


Interacting with the fish people is not a mandatory part of the main storyline in Baldur’s Gate 3, so players can progress through the game. They are not located in highly visible or easily accessible areas. Unlike some other quest objectives or areas in the game, there may not be a clear quest marker or indicator pointing players directly to the fish people. This means that players need to rely on exploration and observation.

Many players may only discover the fish people on subsequent playthroughs when they are actively looking for hidden content or trying different choices. In some instances, particularly if you encounter the Kuo-Toa in Act 1, defeating them in combat may not result in any unique rewards or immediate consequences. It might simply be a combat encounter with standard loot and experience points. If you choose to kill the Kuo-Toa without exploring alternative options or dialogue choices, you may miss out on the potential storylines and quests related to these fish people in BG3.

Staff Writer